At least 108 children have actually died of measles complications since the disease recurred in Vietnam late last year, not 25 as reported by the Ministry of Health last week, a senior health official said on Tuesday.

The striking information was released by Tran Dac Phu, head of the ministry’s Preventive Health Department after Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam requested that the ministry submit an official report about the actual situation of measles to him. Deputy PM Dam made the request after many experts voiced their doubt about the death toll following the ministry’s report at a meeting on April 10 that 25 children had died of complications from measles since the end of last year.

Also at that meeting, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said there was no report on any changes in the toxicity of the virus, which has two types: H1 commonly found in northern Vietnam and D8 rampant in the southern region.

Long said in response to the worries of some health experts who maintained that the measles virus appears to have become more dangerous as it can damage the lungs of patients and thus claim their lives rapidly. After the request by the Deputy Prime Minister, the ministry reported yesterday that at least 108 children have died of measles so far this year.

Of the deaths, 103 occurred at the Central Pediatrics Hospital, four at Bach Mai Hospital, and one at the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, Phu said. All the infirmaries are located in Hanoi.

The real death toll may be higher, as some child patients in fatal conditions left these hospitals after their parents asked for doctors’ permission to take their kids home, Phu added. Two children in the northern province of Yen Bai died from the disease in January this year, which has yet to be included in the toll, he said. Deaths may also have happened in some other provinces, the health official noted. Yesterday, during the visit to the Central Pediatrics Hospital, where most of the beds intended for measles patients were shared by four children, Deputy PM Dam extended his thanks to a doctor for reporting on Facebook that so many children have died of complications from measles. After reading the Facebook post, the deputy PM decided to visit the infirmary to check the current situation, he said.  In order to prevent the spread of measles, the official asked health workers strictly abide by instructions by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on improving the quality of the nationwide vaccination campaign.Dangerous complications Although it is a benign disease, measles can cause serious complications that may lead to death, health experts have warned. It can spread rapidly and 90 percent of children who have contact with measles-suffering peers may catch the measles virus, Dr. An said, adding that even adults can contract measles if their immune system fails to resist the virus. Dr. Nguyen Van Kinh, director of the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, said the facility is treating 340 measles patients, including adults and children. Of these patients, 50 are in critical conditions and have relied on respirators. Many cases of encephalitis, one of the typical complications from measles, have been identified among the hospital patients, Dr. Kinh said. Meanwhile, the Central Pediatrics Hospital reported that measles has been found most commonly in children under nine months old, the age at which they are not required to be vaccinated against the illness, so far this year. Most of the deaths were caused by severe pneumonia, the hospital said.Call for epidemic declaration Dr. Pham Nhat An, deputy director of the Central Pediatrics Hospital, said that it is time for the health sector to declare measles an epidemic. A delay may lead to a lack of vigilance among the public, contributing to the spread of the disease, Dr. An warned. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem, former director of the hospital, said the current measles situation is serious enough to be seen as a pandemic so such a declaration should be made. Criteria for declaring a measles epidemic should be reviewed, Dr. Liem added. Meanwhile, some doctors in Ho Chi Minh City have recommended that all children at nine months old across the country should be vaccinated against measles now.

Vietnam has yet to declare the disease an epidemic despite these appeals.